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In conversation with parents about meaning and life questions

How do I ensure that parents of seriously ill children are well supported in giving meaning and life questions? Here you will find information and guidelines for those involved in pediatric palliative care.


In conversation with parents about meaning and life questions

Attention to meaning

When parents deal with a serious illness or death of a child, their world can be so turned upside down that they are faced with questions related to making meaning.

The future they saw for themselves and their child changes completely, and it sometimes takes effort and time to be able to give new meaning to their lives again. It can help parents if their caregivers pay attention to questions and needs related to meaning, and signal in good time when extra support is needed.

On this page you will find explanations and guidelines about supporting parents with meaning and life questions when they are faced with a serious illness or possible death of their child. The insights and guidelines on this site are the result of the CONNECT study, a collaborative project of the UMCU, the Knowledge Center for Palliative Care for Children, the Networks for Integral Child Care and the UVH. This project was funded by ZonMw.

Why is it important to pay attention to meaning and life questions?

Attention to meaning is part of palliative care. The aim of pediatric palliative care is to provide children and their loved ones with the best possible quality of life and to relieve their physical, psychosocial and spiritual suffering. This means that caregivers not only have a responsibility to guide children, but also the family around the child, through this difficult time as well as possible.

Paying attention to meaning in time can help parents:

  • Helping to fill in the period during and after their child's illness as valuable as possible
  • Preventing parents from dropping out because they are no longer able to care for their child
  • Preventing conflicts between parents and/or between parents and caregivers.